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Effect of Laser-Activated Irrigations on Smear Layer Removal from the Root Canal Wall
Xiaoli Wang1, Xiaogang Cheng1, Baogang Liu2
11 State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, P.R. China .
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of laser-activated irrigations (LAI) by using the Erbium: Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Er:YAG) laser and the Erbium Chromium: Yttrium Scandium Gallium Garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser on removing smear layer (SL) from the root canal wall.
Background Data:
LAI has been proposed as an adjuvant to conventional protocols of endodontic treatment to enhance the disinfection, which is a promising protocol for SL removal.
Materials And Methods:
SL was generated by preparing the root canals of extracted human teeth to a #35/.04 M3 instrument. The SL then received treatments of one of the following: (A) NaOCl, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 60 sec; (B) EDTA, 17% ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 60 sec; (C) NaOCl+EDTA, NaOCl, and EDTA for 30 sec each; (D) LAI+NaOCl, LAI with NaOCl for 60 sec; (E) LAI+EDTA, LAI with EDTA for 60 sec; and (F) LAI+NaOCl+EDTA, LAI with NaOCl, and EDTA for 30 sec each. Efficacies of SL removal were evaluated by using a five-grade scoring system under scanning electron microscopy.
Results:
The laser activations significantly enhanced the effect of the NaOCl, EDTA, and NaOCl+EDTA irrigations in removing SL. The efficacies of SL removal were presented in a descending order of LAI+NaOCl+EDTA, LAI+EDTA>LAI+NaOCl, NaOCl+EDTA>EDTA>NaOCl.
Conclusions:
Among the treatments, the LAI+NaOCl+EDTA was the most effective protocol in removing SL from the entire root canal wall, which may be effective for root canal treatment.